scholarly journals SEARCHING FOR THEORETICAL AGENCY: TOWARDS A BLACK AFRICAN IMMIGRANT STANDPOINT EPISTEMOLOGY

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
BERTRAND TCHOUMI
Keyword(s):  
African Immigrants ◽  
Theoretical Development ◽  
Alternative Form ◽  
African Immigrant ◽  
Black African ◽  
Standpoint Epistemology ◽  
Core Components ◽  
Major Section ◽  
The Many ◽  
Conceptual Foundations

This article describes the theoretical construction of a Black African Immigrant Standpoint Epistemology (BAISE). BAISE is an emerging system of thought that seeks and locates the souls of Black African immigrants, re-centers their conceptions of knowledge, and describes their theory of action. Such an epistemology is critical as a tool for Black African immigrants to more effectively express their theoretical agency and construct an alternative form of knowledge that accounts for the totality of their experiences and their social realities. The article first describes the key tenets of several conceptual frameworks that have been appropriated and reconfigured to provide the conceptual foundations of BAISE. These core components are interwoven together to capture the complexity of the experiences and the realities of Black African immigrants and create a tapestry of concepts and knowledges providing the epistemological context for BAISE. Among the many coeval and complementary theories of knowledge available, theories that focus on agency and the construction of realities, on the valorization of previously discredited and discounted epistemological alternatives, as well as on the deconstruction of the positionality of Black African immigrants on the racialized checkerboard and on the re-centering of the marginalized and oppressed lives have seeded the emergence of BAISE. The second major section of this article presents the initial theoretical development of BAISE. The conceptualization process describes how the marginalized status of Black African immigrants shapes their identities and perspectives on the world.

SEARCHING FOR THEORETICAL AGENCY: TOWARDS A BLACK AFRICAN IMMIGRANT STANDPOINT EPISTEMOLOGY

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
BERTRAND TCHOUMI
Keyword(s):  
African Immigrants ◽  
Theoretical Development ◽  
Alternative Form ◽  
African Immigrant ◽  
Black African ◽  
Standpoint Epistemology ◽  
Core Components ◽  
Major Section ◽  
The Many ◽  
Conceptual Foundations

This article describes the theoretical construction of a Black African Immigrant Standpoint Epistemology (BAISE). BAISE is an emerging system of thought that seeks and locates the souls of Black African immigrants, re-centers their conceptions of knowledge, and describes their theory of action. Such an epistemology is critical as a tool for Black African immigrants to more effectively express their theoretical agency and construct an alternative form of knowledge that accounts for the totality of their experiences and their social realities. The article first describes the key tenets of several conceptual frameworks that have been appropriated and reconfigured to provide the conceptual foundations of BAISE. These core components are interwoven together to capture the complexity of the experiences and the realities of Black African immigrants and create a tapestry of concepts and knowledges providing the epistemological context for BAISE. Among the many coeval and complementary theories of knowledge available, theories that focus on agency and the construction of realities, on the valorization of previously discredited and discounted epistemological alternatives, as well as on the deconstruction of the positionality of Black African immigrants on the racialized checkerboard and on the re-centering of the marginalized and oppressed lives have seeded the emergence of BAISE. The second major section of this article presents the initial theoretical development of BAISE. The conceptualization process describes how the marginalized status of Black African immigrants shapes their identities and perspectives on the world.

scholarly journals Gender-Based Expectations and their Effect on Mental Health Amongst Black African Immigrant Young Men Living in Canada

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-90
Author(s):  
Omolola Olawo
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Service Utilization ◽  
African Immigrants ◽  
Interpretive Description ◽  
African Immigrant ◽  
Black African ◽  
Speaking Out ◽  
Cultural Expectations ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Immigrant Men

Black African immigrant men’s mental health is relatively understudied. This article is part of a larger study that explored the perceptions of mental health amongst African immigrant youth living in Canada. Using an interpretive description methodology, underpinned by an intersectional and critical lens, this article addresses racial, societal, and cultural expectations that could have an effect on Black African immigrant men’s mental health. Eight men and women who self-identified as Black African immigrants between the ages of 18 and 25 participated in the overall study, while five participants contributed the data for this article. Masculinity as a determinant of health, the resilience of African men, and the intersections of identity and vulnerability are discussed. It is concluded that the stigma surrounding Black African men speaking out about their mental health warrants a deeper examination in relation to their mental health outcomes. Areas of further inquiry include exploring mental health service utilization amongst Black African immigrant men.

scholarly journals “They Wait until the Disease Has Taking over You and the Doctors Cannot Do Anything about It”: Qualitative Insights from Harambee! 2.0

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (23) ◽  
pp. 12706
Author(s):  
Shukri A. Hassan ◽  
Farah Mohamed ◽  
Najma Sheikh ◽  
Guiomar Basualdo ◽  
Nahom A. Daniel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
African Immigrants ◽  
Preventive Health Care ◽  
Immigrant Communities ◽  
African Immigrant ◽  
Black African ◽  
Healthcare Needs ◽  
Immigrant Experiences ◽  
Preventative Healthcare

African immigrants make up a large subgroup of Black/African-Americans in the US. However, because African immigrant groups are typically categorized as “Black,” little is known about their preventative healthcare needs. Differences in culture, life and healthcare experiences between African immigrant populations and US-born people may influence preventive health care uptake. Thus, policymakers and healthcare providers lack information needed to make informed decisions around preventive care for African immigrants. This formative study was conducted among the largest East African immigrant communities in King County, WA. We recruited religious leaders, community leaders, health professionals, and lay community members to participate in thirty key informant interviews and five focus group discussions (n = 72 total), to better understand preventative healthcare attitudes in these communities. Through inductive coding and thematic analysis, we identified factors that impact preventative healthcare attitudes of the Somali, Ethiopian and Eritrean immigrant communities and deter them from accessing and utilizing healthcare. Cultural beliefs and attitudes around preventative healthcare, mistrust of westernized healthcare, religious beliefs/views, intersecting identities and shared immigrant experiences all influence how participants view preventative healthcare. Our results suggest that interventions that address these factors are needed to most effectively increase uptake of preventative healthcare in African immigrant communities.

scholarly journals Longer Residence in the United States is Associated With More Physical Function Limitations in African Immigrant Older Adults

2020 ◽  
pp. 073346482097760
Author(s):  
Manka Nkimbeng ◽  
Yvonne Commodore-Mensah ◽  
Jacqueline L. Angel ◽  
Karen Bandeen-Roche ◽  
Roland J. Thorpe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Physical Function ◽  
Racial Discrimination ◽  
African Immigrants ◽  
The United States ◽  
African Immigrant ◽  
High Discrimination ◽  
The Mean

Acculturation and racial discrimination have been independently associated with physical function limitations in immigrant and United States (U.S.)-born populations. This study examined the relationships among acculturation, racial discrimination, and physical function limitations in N = 165 African immigrant older adults using multiple linear regression. The mean age was 62 years ( SD = 8 years), and 61% were female. Older adults who resided in the United States for 10 years or more had more physical function limitations compared with those who resided here for less than 10 years ( b = −2.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [–5.01, –0.23]). Compared to lower discrimination, those with high discrimination had more physical function limitations ( b = −2.51, 95% CI = [–4.91, –0.17]), but this was no longer significant after controlling for length of residence and acculturation strategy. Residing in the United States for more than 10 years is associated with poorer physical function. Longitudinal studies with large, diverse samples of African immigrants are needed to confirm these associations.

scholarly journals Synthetic futurism: exploring the possibilities of limitless architectural change and growth

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hovag John Kara-Yacoubian
Keyword(s):  
Architectural Change ◽  
The People ◽  
Core Components ◽  
Group Form ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Contextual Change

Buildings do not have to burst out of the ground with a predetermined identity. They have an inherent need to grow, change and reinvent themselves to reflect the changes among the people and context. In the ever-changing condition of the context, the design of a building must be conscious of and attuned to the growing needs of society. It cannot assume it is destined for a singular purpose, as instead it is defined by a continuity of growth and reinvention. With the onset of contextual changes, the fleeting moment of a design’s conception becomes less significant. In turn, what rises in import is the integration of contingency to allow a design to metabolize the effects of the contextual change and synthesize new solutions within a flexible, absorptive system. Each added component through its relationship with subcomponents and previously existing elements can serve to create diversity, continuity and flexible internal hierarchies between continuous servant and served space. The summation of the Group Form that results from the melding of many parts can allow the buildings identity to shift as the individual parts reform and change to form new cohesive identities. By manufacturing the base and set of core components, a radically diverse system can grow beyond the limits of the originating elements, adding malleability to the many comprising identities.

Managing Race in the American Workplace

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. Skrentny
Keyword(s):  
Civil Rights ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Racial Difference ◽  
Racial Diversity ◽  
Civil Rights Act ◽  
American Society ◽  
The Many ◽  
Conceptual Foundations ◽  
The Way

This chapter introduces the problems of the roles racial differences play in the workplace. It discusses the changes in the way Americans talk about race and what pragmatic and progressive voices say that they want since the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Never before has such a wide variety of employers, advocates, activists, and government leaders in American society discussed the benefits of racial diversity and the utility of racial difference in such a broad range of contexts. Thus, the chapter points out the emerging discourse of race as a qualification for employment, and briefly details the many issues as well as the role of established laws on such an issue. It also lays out the conceptual foundations upon which the following chapters will be based on.

Abstract P397: Social Determinants of Hypertension and Diabetes Among African Immigrants: The African Immigrant Health Study

Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 141 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oluwabunmi Ogungbe ◽  
Ruth-alma N Turkson-ocran ◽  
Diana Baptiste ◽  
Binu Koirala ◽  
Cheryl R Dennison Himmelfarb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Social Determinants ◽  
Immigrant Health ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
African Immigrants ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
African Immigrant ◽  
African Immigrant Health

Introduction: The differences in the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among Black ethnic groups in the U.S. remain largely unexplained. African immigrants are particularly likely to have high rates of hypertension and diabetes, and less likely to be screened, diagnosed or receive treatment. Objective: To examine the association between social determinants of health (SDoH) and hypertension and diabetes among African immigrants. Methods: The African Immigrant Health Study was a cross-sectional study of 465 African immigrants living in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. Data collection was performed through a combination of physical examinations and questionnaires. The outcomes were self-reported hypertension and diabetes. Elements of SDoH collected were education, income, health insurance, employment and marital status. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between SDoH and hypertension/diabetes. Results: The mean age of participants was 46.8(±11.5) years and 60% were women; 64% had ≥ college degree, 83% were employed, 67% had health insurance, and 70% were married/co-habiting. Mean body mass index was 30.7 (±18.3) kg/m 2 . The prevalence of hypertension and diabetes was 32%, and 13% respectively. The odds of diabetes were higher amongst those who were unemployed [aOR: 2.86 (1.39-5.56)] ( Table ). Education, health insurance, income and marital status were not associated with hypertension or diabetes after accounting for age and sex. Conclusion: Among African immigrants, we observed that those who were unemployed had a higher likelihood of self-reported diabetes than those who were employed. Additional studies are needed to further study the contributions of social determinants of hypertension and diabetes as well as and developing health policy and interventions to improve cardiovascular health.

scholarly journals African Immigrant Health: Prostate Cancer Attitudes, Perceptions, and Barriers

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 155798832094546
Author(s):  
Nipher Malika ◽  
Oyinkansola Ogundimu ◽  
Lisa Roberts ◽  
Qais Alemi ◽  
Carlos Casiano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Health Beliefs ◽  
African Immigrants ◽  
Racial Groups ◽  
African Immigrant ◽  
Negative Perceptions ◽  
Planning Development ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Prostate Health ◽  
Immigrant Men

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among Black men who present with higher incidence, mortality, and survival compared to other racial groups. African immigrant men, however, are underrepresented in PCa research and thus this research sought to address that gap. This study applied a social determinants of health framework to understand the knowledge, perceptions, and behavioral tendencies regarding PCa in African immigrants. African immigrant men and women residing in different parts of the country (California, Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Florida) from various faith-based organizations, African community groups, and social groups were recruited to participate in key informant interviews ( n = 10) and two focus groups ( n = 23). Four themes were identified in this study: (a) PCa knowledge and attitudes—while knowledge is very limited, perceptions about prostate health are very strong; (b) culture and gender identity strongly influence African health beliefs; (c) preservation of manhood; and (d) psychosocial stressors (e.g., financial, racial, immigration, lack of community, and negative perceptions of invasiveness of screening) are factors that play a major role in the overall health of African immigrant men. The results of this qualitative study unveiled perceptions, attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge of PCa among African immigrants that should inform the planning, development, and implementation of preventive programs to promote men’s health and PCa awareness.

scholarly journals Eisosome proteins assemble into a membrane scaffold

2011 ◽  
Vol 195 (5) ◽  
pp. 889-902 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lena Karotki ◽  
Juha T. Huiskonen ◽  
Christopher J. Stefan ◽  
Natasza E. Ziółkowska ◽  
Robyn Roth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Self Assembly ◽  
Spatial Organization ◽  
Protein Complexes ◽  
Lipid Binding ◽  
Yeast Cells ◽  
Core Components ◽  
The Many ◽  
Plasma Membrane Domain ◽  
Membrane Scaffold

Spatial organization of membranes into domains of distinct protein and lipid composition is a fundamental feature of biological systems. The plasma membrane is organized in such domains to efficiently orchestrate the many reactions occurring there simultaneously. Despite the almost universal presence of membrane domains, mechanisms of their formation are often unclear. Yeast cells feature prominent plasma membrane domain organization, which is at least partially mediated by eisosomes. Eisosomes are large protein complexes that are primarily composed of many subunits of two Bin–Amphiphysin–Rvs domain–containing proteins, Pil1 and Lsp1. In this paper, we show that these proteins self-assemble into higher-order structures and bind preferentially to phosphoinositide-containing membranes. Using a combination of electron microscopy approaches, we generate structural models of Pil1 and Lsp1 assemblies, which resemble eisosomes in cells. Our data suggest that the mechanism of membrane organization by eisosomes is mediated by self-assembly of its core components into a membrane-bound protein scaffold with lipid-binding specificity.

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